Ingredients:

4 Russet potatoes (2 – 2 1/2 pounds), peeled and cut into large chunks

2 lightly packed cups of clean chopped kale leaves

1/4 of a small head of cabbage sliced thin

3 green onions, including the dark green tops, minced

2 tablespoons of butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 piece of uncured, nitrate free bacon (Applegate Naturals is a good brand sold at WFs)

1 cup of buttermilk or regular milk ( you could subtitute yogurt for half the milk)

Salt to taste ( 1 tsp. of salt has 2000 mg of sodium and you are salting the water for boiling the potatoes so go light on adding more to the finished dish. Always taste before adding salt)

This is a traditional Irish dish of mashed potatoes and greens. You can try different types of potatoes like Yukon gold or red new potatoes. Try not peeling the skins one time for added texture and fiber. The dish is usually made with kale or cabbage but you could use Swiss chard, spinach, collard green or mustard greens. I used both kale and cabbage in my recipe below. You can also substitute parsnips or cauliflower for half the potatoes for a nice change. Add extra flavor by adding some green onions, leeks, chives or bacon. Most Colcannon recipes are heavy on the butter and cream. I have adapted this recipe to use buttermilk or regular milk instead of cream. I have cut the butter way down to save on calories and saturated fat without sacrificing flavor.

Directions:

1. Put the potatoes in a medium pot  and cover with cold water by about an inch. Add 1 tablespoon salt to the water and bring to a boil. Boil the potatoes until they are fork tender (about 15-20 minutes). Drain in a colander.

2. While the potatoes are cooking place the piece of bacon in a large non-stick fry pan over medium heat and cook until crisp. Remove and set aside to cool. Break into small bits and save for garnish.

3. Add the olive oil to the bacon fat and add the cabbage, kale, and green onions. Cook for about 10 minutes over medium heat stirring occasionally until the cabbage is soft but not mushy.(You can add a little water to the pan to help speed up the process).

4. Melt the butter in the pot used to boil the potatoes. Return the potatoes to the pot and add the buttermilk. Mash the potatoes into the butter and buttermilk until they are well mixed. Add the kale and cabbage mixture to the potatoes and stir until well combined. Spoon into a bowl and garnish with the crisp bacon bits.

Serves: 4 – 6 depending on the serving size.